Strap-fastening for trunks or the like.



No. salgas.

Patented Aug. l5, I 899. 0. A. S'TONEMAN.

STRAP FASTENING FOR TRUNKS 0R THE LIKE.

(Application filed June 29, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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4 Y natecorresponding parts throughout the sevto make and use the same. y

spective view of a trunk-strap and fastening 'l UNrTED STATES EErcEo PATENT oRvILLE A. s'roNEMAN, on NoEEoLK, VIEGINIA, AssrcNoE or ONE-HALE To ERNEST E. WHITE, oE sAME PLACE.

'STRAP-msi-muse 'FoR "rRuNKs Aon THE/LIKE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,235, dated August 15, 189i?.

Application filed June 29, 1899.

To altrwlwm it may concern/s y Be it known that I, OEvrLLE A. STONEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Strap Fastenings for Trunks or the Like; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a'ppertains This invention relates to improvements in straps and strap-fastenings for trunks and other articles, and the purpose of the same is to provide a strap of improved construction that is adapted to be adj usted for application to trunks of dierent sizes and a simple and eective fastening therefor by means of which ther meeting ends of the strap when placed in position may be readily and conveniently connected and tightened to the desired tension and as quickly and easily disconnected.

With this and other minor objects in view i the Vinvention consists of lcertain novel features of construction, combination," and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming aV part of l'this speciIication,Figure l is a perembodying my invention'. vFig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale,'of thefastener and meeting ends of the strap. Fig.- 3 is a similar view showing the adj ustablev ofthe fastening device, showing in broken lines'the movement of the lever in tightening thestrap. i. 'p

- Like reference letters andcharacters desigeral views.

In carrying myinvention into practice I employ a strap or b'and A, made of leather, canvas, or some other suitablematerial andhavparts of the fastening device are'attached. The end b constitutes the extremity of one end of the band proper, while the end c constitutes the closed terminal or return-bend portion of an adjusting-loop formed by fold- Serial No. 722,297. (No model.)

ing or doubling the opposite end d ofthe Lband over upon the exterior of the body portion thereof and connecting the extremity e: ofsaid end, which constitutes the opposite or free terminal of the looped portion, to an ad-l j usting-slide or take-up. The adj usting-slide .used in the present instance consists of a su'b; stantially rectangular link F, having a central cross-bar g, to which the said extremity Qc of the b and is connected. of the band is passed-under the end portions Eor' cross-bars of this link and over the central `cross-bar thereof andthe said strap extremity- ,e attached thereto, and isthereby held firmly' by frictional engagement against movementf By adjusting this slide on the body portion of Xthe strap' in one direction or the other'the lend d thereof will be drawn upon to lengthen ;or shorten the strap to adapt itv -for' .application to trunks or other articles of different .sizes in a manner that will be readily under-1v stood. I

The fastening and tightening device coml prises in its construction a yoke'G and a lever H, connected, respectively, =to the meeting x ends b and c of the strap. The yoke G consists of a U-shaped frame having parallel yside arms h and a closed end formed by a l cross-bar i, to which the meeting end b of the strap is secured. Adjacent to said cross-bar the arms of the yoke are offset inwardly tol form shoulders j for a purpose hereinafter described, and said arms are provided at their free ends and at the open end of the yoke with hooks k, facing in the direction of said crossbar. The lever H consists of an elongated rectangular link frame having parallel side bars or arms Z, connected at their inner ends by a cross-bar m and at their outer ends by a cross-bar n. The meeting end c of the strap is passed around the cross-bar m, and the folds or plies of the looped portion thence eX- tend rearwardly under the cross-bar fn. For

f the purpose of allowing the said looped portion of the strap to lie within the plane of the bottom of the lever and approximately-Within the plane of the front cross-barm to prevent chaiing, buckling, and slipping of the same longitudinally or transversely the side bars of the lever are tapered on their under sides, as shown at o, from a substantially medial point The body vportion ssl IOO

to their outer ends and the cross-bar n recessed in its under side, as at 19, so as to permittthe folds to fit snugly therein and in close contact with each other. The side bars of the lever are also provided centrally with in- Wardly-extending offsets q and just in advance of the same with outwardly-projecting trunnions r, said trunnions being adapted to engage the hooks 7c of the yoke, and thereby pivotally connect the lever eccentrically to said yoke. The purpose of the inwardly-extending osets is to decrease the Width of the lever-frame immediately in rear of the trunnions, so that the trunnions may be readily and conveniently slipped into the hooks when the front end or short arm of the lever is inserted from above down into the yoke to connect the meeting ends of the strap. Notehes s are provided in the upper edges of the arms of the lever to receive a ring or link t, which is slipped thereon to hold the lever closed or in locked position and the end of the looped portion of the strap in place.

In operation the strap is primarily adjusted through the medium of the slide F to suit the size of. the trunk or other article to which it is to be applied and is then carried around the trunk in the usual manner and its meeting ends brought together. The front end or short arm of the lever is then slipped downwardly in a substantially vertical position into the yoke and the trunnions thereof inserted into the hooks of the yoke. When this is done, the outer end or long arm of the lever is employed as a handle and forced down to bring the front end or short arm thereof between the arms of the yoke,whereby the meeting end c of the strap is advanced and the strap drawn upon and tightened. The ring or link t is then slipped into locking engagement with the notches s to hold the lever closed down. iVhen it is desired to disengage the fastening to disconnect the meeting ends of the strap, the ring or link tis removed and the lever turned to a vertical position and slid forwardly, so as to bring the trunnions out of engagement with the hooks on the yoke. In connecting and disconnecting the lever it will of course be understood that ease of operation is insured through the provision of offsets q, which permit the parts to slide readily upon one another when slipping the trunnions into or out of engagement with the hooks.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that after the strap has been primarily adjusted no further adjustment of the same is required for subsequent applications to the same article, also that the device is simple and inexpensive in construction and eiiicient in operation and may be quickly and easily applied and removed.

It will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made Within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. Afasteningand tighteningdeviceforthe meeting ends of straps and the like, comprising a yoke having a cross-bar at one end to receive one of the meeting ends of a strap and open at its opposite end and provided at the free ends of its side arms with hooks facing in the direction of said cross-bar, a leverconsistin g of an elongated link frame having cross-bars at its ends, the front cross-bar being adapted to receive the other meeting end of the straps, and trunnions upon its side arms in advance of its center to engage the hooks of the yoke, and a locking device to engage the rear cross-bar of the lever to hold said lever closed.

2. A fastening and tightening device for the meeting ends of straps and the like, comprising a yoke having at one end a cross-bar to receive one of the meeting ends of a strap and at its opposite end open and provided at the free ends of its side arms with hooks facing in the direction of said cross-bar, a level' comprising an elongated link frame provided at its inner or front end with a cross-bar adapted to receive the other meeting end of the strap, at its rear end with a cross-har recessed upon its under side and provided on its side arms with trunnions in advance of its center to engage the hooks of the yoke, and a link adapted to engage notches in th'e side arms of loo the lever adjacent to said cross-bar to hold said lever closed.

3. A strap-fastening for trunks, time., coinprising a strap or band having an adjustingloop formed by folding one of the ends of the :o5 strap upon itself, an adjusting device slidably engaging the body of the band and connected to the free end of said looped portion,

a yoke having a cross-bar at one end to which the opposite end of the strap is secured and 11o hooks at the free ends of its side arms, a le- 1 ver having trunnions located in advance of its center to engage said hooks and front and rear cross-bars, said front cross-bar having the closed or return end ofthe looped portion 1 I5 of the strap passed therearound, and a link adapted to engage notches in the side arms of the lever adjacent to said rear cross-bar to hold said lever closed in fastening position.

In testimony whereof I ailx my signature 12o in presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE A. STONEMAN. s] Witnesses:

EDWARD W. WoLCoTT, HARRY K. WoLCoTT. 

